Miami Student

Issue date: 8/24/07 Section: Front Page

Seniors Steve O'Connell and Chaz Nichols play beer pong at their Church Street residence. If they leave the table outside the students could face a $250 fine.

With the new noise, litter and furniture ordinances passed in the spring, the Oxford Police Department (OPD) saw a relatively calm summer with virtually no citations issued.

According to Sgt. Jim Squance of the OPD, summer was very quiet with a very low volume of tickets written.

"I don't think we wrote any citations for (the noise, litter and furniture) ordinances," Squance said. "If the students didn't pick up their beer pong tables, the landlords picked them up and moved them inside or threw them out."

Likewise, the weekend of Aug. 18 saw similar behavior being the first weekend of the school year for incoming and returning students. Squance said although more tickets were issued, students understand the importance of the three ordinances.

"This past weekend, we wrote seven citations for furniture outside," Squance said. "For noise, we wrote about four noise citations the first weekend. I think everybody gets the message."

However, Miami University senior Brian Ulrich said he received his first citation when officers approached his house about a beer pong table supposedly being outdoors and not in use around 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 18. He said the table was outdoors at the time, but that he had been told earlier that day that it would be acceptable to leave it outside while moving into his home.

Ulrich noted that he saw an increased officer presence that weekend, but that his house had every intention of keeping their beer pong table indoors once moved into the home.

"(The ordinance) is ridiculous," Ulrich said. "Who is to say that our table wasn't manufactured for outdoor use?"

According to Squance, a first offense for violating the ordinance is considered a fourth degree misdemeanor with a $250 fine and court appearance, including an $80 court fee. A second offense and on escalates to a third degree misdemeanor with a $500 fine, court appearance and $80 court cost.

In agreement with Squance, Vice Mayor Prue Dana said the ordinances appear to be effective within the city. However, she said the slightly higher increase in citations over the weekend originated from the higher amount of officers that were on duty.

Continued...

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